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INVESTIGATOR: Groskopf, J.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 68583

BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Women are a significant and growing percentage of the population employed by, managing, and owning farms and ranches in Nebraska - the 24,730 female producers in Nebraska counted by the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture represented 32 percent of all farm operators in the state (Table 52), a 22 percent increase in the state since the 2012 USDA Census. Women producers operate a total of 20,323,537 acres of farmland (Table 57), with the size of farms and ranches varying greatly: 35 percent of female-operated farms are greater than 500 acres, 17 percent are 180-499 acres, 19 percent are 50 to 179 acres, and 30 percent are less than 50 acres (Table 57). Furthermore, 24 percent of these Nebraskan women producers have been farming for ten years or less, qualifying them as beginning farmers and ranchers (Table 58).USDA recognizes women as an underserved audience. Women are subjected to prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to individual qualities. This simplified standard grant will be used to enhance the activities of the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Program to provide innovative farm business management education for beginning female farmers and ranchers (BFFR), and develop a Land Link service for Nebraska.Targeted education for women creates community and builds networks among resource providers and women farmers. Research has shown that networks are particularly important for women farmers (Devlin, 2017; Shortall, 1996; Trauger et al., 2008). Networks provide opportunities for women to build trust, share information, and build agency (Trauger et al., 2008). Additionally, networks provide support, informal learning, and at times mentorship. Connections are important to women farmers. They need peers and a place to share difficulties and mitigate isolation in being involved in agriculture (Annes & Wright, 2015; Trauger, et al., 2008).Currently, Annie's Project is the only targeted education provided in Nebraska for BFFR, according to FarmAnswers.org. This project will fund a portfolio of programs, including at least five Annie's Project courses and a two-day Women in Agriculture conference, reaching 70 BFFR with 8 to 18 hours of education per event. These activities will cater to women by encouraging them to ask questions, connect with participants and speakers, and share their experiences. These hands-on programs will focus on increasing the knowledge and skills of attendees, ultimately leading to more successful BFFR.

OBJECTIVES: The two main goals of this project are:Help BFFR in Nebraska succeed by providing unbiased research-based information to address the highest priority educational needs of this audience;Establish a Land Link service for Nebraska.